Tobias drove Korina, Christopher, and Alex back to his store. With the counterfeit gang safely under arrest, they weren't in any hurry. T obias tended to drive very slowly when he wasn't chasing counterfeiters.

The kids followed Tobias into his shop. "You three make a great team," Tobias said, handing them each a cold drink. He set out a little dish of water for Sherlock too. "You weren't so bad yourself, Tobias," Christopher said. "All the pieces came together, just like you said they would."

"There you are, Tobias!" It was the real estate agent Alex had seen the day before. "I've been looking all over for you. I've brought the papers for you to sign." He set his briefcase down on Tobias' counter. Then he flipped the two latches and opened it. He pulled out a thick stack of papers. "By this time tomorrow, you'll be a free, retired man, Tobias. Just sign here."

"I've been praying about that," said Tobias.

"That's always good," said the man, looking a bit nervous. He handed Tobias a pen and scooted the papers a little closer to Tobias.

A small piece of paper floated to the floor. Tobias picked it up, tore it in two , and placed it in a pile of torn paper pieces on the counter.

Alex looked around Tobias' nearly empty shop. Nothing remained in the front window except a big "For Sale" sign. "Tobias," Alex asked, "you're not going to sign that, are you?"

"You have to keep the store open," Korina said.

"I'd like to," Tobias admitted. "But what could I possibly sell in another shop?" As Tobias talked, he tore a sheet of newspaper into odd-shaped pieces. Alex knew their friend was making one of his puzzles without even thinking about it.

Tobias tore the last piece from the newspaper and set it on the counter. "I know that God always causes the pieces to fit together, but I just don't see how He wants this puzzle to work," he said.

"That's it!" cried Alex.

Sherlock was so startled, he flapped off Alex's shoulder, sending puffs of green feathers flying everywhere.

"That's what, Alex?" asked Tobias.

"Puzzles!" Alex said triumphantly.

"Puzzles?" Tobias repeated.

"Of cours e!" Christopher agreed. "Who knows more about puzzles and pieces coming together than you do, Tobias? A puzzle shop would be perfect."

Korina ran to the front window and lifted out the "For Sale" sign and threw it in the wastebasket. She grinned up at Tobias. "What do you say, Tobias?"

"I say " Tobias looked up to heaven. "I say, 'Thank You, Jesus!' I'll call my new shop Puzzleworks."

Tobias turned to the real estate agent. "Sorry for your trouble," he said. "I'm not selling."

The m an looked disappointed, but he managed a smile. "Good luck, Tobias," he said. They shook hands and the man left.

Tobias held up the contract. Then he tore it into four pieces. "And these are four pieces that won't come together!" he said.

Everybody laughedexcept Korina.

"Is something wrong, Korina?" Tobias asked.

"No, Tobias," Korina said. "I'm really happy for you and your new shop. Puzzleworks is a great name." She looked as if she were forcing a smile.

"But?" Tobias asked.

"No," Korina said. "It's nothing. I'm fine. I just need to go upstairs and clean out my experiments. You'll need your attic back." Korina started to leave.

"Wait!" called Tobias. "You kids are a team. Don't you see how God used you together to work His miracles? Where two or three are gathered together in His name, why, God's right there. How could I break you three up? It would be like scrambling a puzzle that God has put together!"

Alex thought about it. Tobias was right. Somehow, everyt hing came together with Korina and Christopher and Tobias and even God.

"Do you think we should form some kind of a club, Tobias?" Christopher asked.

"Why, of course," Tobias said. "I'll have my puzzles downstairs. Your club could be the secret attic."

"Braawk! Puzzle! Brawk! Club!" screeched Sherlock, flying again to rest on Alex's shoulder.

"Puzzle Club?" Alex said, repeating Sherlock's words.

"The Puzzle Club?" Christopher echoed.

"The Puzzle Club," said Korina.

Alex liked the sound of it better each time he heard it.

"Well," said Tobias, pulling the gold cord behind his counter. "Go on up, The Puzzle Club headquarters needs a lot of work."

Christopher, Korina, and Alex scrambled upstairs to their new headquarters. Maybe this city wasn't so lonely after all. And Alex had a feeling, as he climbed the stairs to the headquarters, that The Puzzle Club adventures were only beginning.